Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
Our school has been running and building the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program for the last four years. This program enables the students to grow vegetables and fruits from seeds to harvesting and bring them into the kitchen to cook. The children learn about composting, preparing garden beds, testing soil, what plants to grow when; how to correctly use garden and kitchen tools; and many skills that will help them through out their life.
Food, glorious food!
Food is essential to all of us. The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation’s approach emphasises engagement through pleasurable sensory experiences. Cooking and gardening heighten and help refine our sensory experiences and as well give context to the development of our capacities to think and talk about our understanding of physical and imaginary worlds.
From little things big things grow
We care about the things we love and for many of us it is why we care for The Earth. Our children need the space and time to enjoy the natural world. Stephanie Alexander has been owner and chef of our finest restaurants. Her concerns about our society’s abuse of food, and the sensory harm it is inflicting on children and families, saw her create what has become the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. The curriculum materials provided assist to integrate literacy, maths, science and art. The website is designed to upload and document activities and recipes which can then be shared with other participating schools.
How are attitudes to food formed?
Global food markets and corporate retailing dominate food production and consumption. Working together, aiming for success, hands-on effort and the pleasures they bring, actively engage students in an attitude where they are able to critically think about how most of our food is produced. Growing, cooking and eating food means we can meet the diverse learning needs of our students and provide a curriculum, of significance and rigour. Rich, tangible connections can be made to all areas of the curriculum: chemistry, biology, geography, and literacy, maths, health and the arts.
Web links
https://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/
http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/
http://www.fedup.com.au/ For information about the effects of food on behaviour, health and learning in both children and adults, and support for families.
Namadgi School is also an A Fresh Tastes School and ACT Smart School https://goodhabitsforlife.act.gov.au/fresh-tastes/
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